365 days of inspiration for the recovery journey, filled with wisdom to ground, guide, and renew the spirit.

Recovery—whether from addictive or compulsive behaviors, codependency, childhood trauma, dysfunction or loss—is not an event to be conquered, but an ongoing process of healing and self-discovery. It requires patience, perseverance, and self-awareness. Putting one foot in front of the other, moment-by-moment and day-by-day, builds courage, self-esteem, and resilience. A key component of staying on the right path is guidance from those who have walked it before. One Foot in Front of the Other gives readers a hand to hold as they face the challenges of living and provides a wellspring of knowledge from which to draw inspiration, and hope.

Nationally renowned trauma and recovery expert Dr. Tian Dayton gives readers all the tools they will need on their journey of recovery, just as she has for countless of her own patients. Written in the 'I' format, each page speaks intimately to readers, offering straightforward and user-friendly wisdom through inspired readings. This powerful little book will help readers examine their lives and recapture feelings of gratitude and positivity opening to the grace of self-renewal.

JANUARY

Sanskrit Prayer

Look to this day

For it is life

The very life of life.

In its brief course lie all

The realities and verities of existence

The bliss of growth

The splendor of action

The glory of power—

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision

But today, well lived

Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore to this day

January 1

One Foot in Front of the Other

All I need to do today is to put one foot in front of the other. I can only walk this walk a step at a time. Each time I take a step, I will trust that the next will follow, along with the next, and the next, and the next. What I know today is that no matter what does or does not come my way, I will wake up each morning to one more day of my spiritual journey—nothing more, nothing less. I will keep putting one foot in front of the other. Occasional leaps of faith and periods of unusual progress will no doubt happen as will slips and backslides. But no matter what comes along, I have the gift of recovery in my life, a gift that I can rely on, a gift that means that I never have to struggle alone again. I place my hand in the hand of my Higher Power and together we walk a path of recovery one step at a time.

I embrace a community of recovering people

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

—St. Theresa's Prayer

January 2

Keeping My Soul Alive

Today I choose to what I need to do to keep my soul alive, to stay awake to life and to this new day with all of its potential. If I walk by this day without seeing it, I will miss what the day has to offer me. If I rush through it with a preoccupied, distracted mind, I will just get from one thing to the next and the next, till it is over. But if I look, if I understand that being alive in the moment brings unexpected gifts; if I recognize that simply being alive is a gift, then the moments in my day will expand, they will have a feel of something subtle and alive, I will be aware of a deeper pulse of living.

I will stay on the path for one more day

There also exists a sleeping sickness of the soul. Its most dangerous aspect is that one is unaware of its coming. That is why you have to be careful. . . . You should realize that your soul suffers if you live superficially. People need times in which to concentrate, when they can search their inmost selves. It is tragic that most men have not achieved this feeling of self-awareness. And finally, when they hear the inner voice they do not want to listen anymore. They carry on as before so as not to be constantly reminded of what they have lost. But as for you, resolve to keep a quiet time. . . . Then your souls can speak to you without being drowned out by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

—Albert Schweitzer

January 3

Keeping It Simple

I understand that the quality of my week is influenced by how I live the hours of my day. I will keep it simple today. I cannot solve all of the problems I am becoming aware of overnight, nor do I wish to try. Awareness can hurt. It asks me to become responsible for what I now see, to stop living mindlessly, and to recognize that if my life isn't working the way I want it to, I may need to pull up my shirt sleeves and get messy, to dig my hands into the soil of my day. Awareness can empower me. If I try to make all my life changes at once I may get overwhelmed and want to quit, give up, run away, or self-medicate. Today I will take baby steps. I'll have a simple plan for my day and trust that today well lived will create a better tomorrow.

I will keep things simple today

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

—Hans Hofmann

January 4

Emotional Sobriety

Just for today, I can sit with what I am experiencing right now, I can live my life a feeling at a time. I am learning what it means to live an emotionally sober life. I used to think that emotional sobriety sounded dull, flat, and unexciting. I thought that living in the emotional extremes was living life to the fullest. But today, when I feel the beauty of feeling my feelings without acting out, I have a kind of peace inside that feels good. When I can allow my emotions to fill and inform me, but not control me, I feel my life as it's happening. I experience a new choice. There is a space where I can reflect on what I am feeling before I swing into action. Doing this expands my sense of self and my confidence that I can manage my own inner world. It allows me to live in the moment and to be more spontaneous and adaptable. Living in emotional extremes is a form of acting out or running away from what I feel, running from my manageable feeling center. Emotional balance and sobriety actually allows me to experience a deeper, wider inner world.

Emotional sobriety allows me to be more of who I am

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

Tian Dayton, Ph.D., has an M.S. in educational psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a board certified trainer in psychodrama. She taught psychodrama at New York University for eight years prior to becoming the director of clinical programming for Breathe Life Healing Centers and Director of The New York Psychodrama Training Institute. Dr. Dayton is a fellow of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP), editor-in-chief of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry & Group Psychotherapy, and sits on the professional standards committee. She lives in New York City.